2002–03 Miami Heat season

2002–03 Miami Heat season
Head coachPat Riley
PresidentPat Riley
General managerRandy Pfund
OwnerMicky Arison
ArenaAmerican Airlines Arena
Results
Record25–57 (.305)
PlaceDivision: 7th (Atlantic)
Conference: 13th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
Television
RadioWIOD

The 2002–03 Miami Heat season was the 15th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.[1] The Heat received the tenth overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected small forward Caron Butler from the University of Connecticut,[2][3][4] and signed free agent Travis Best during the off-season. However, due to the continuing effects of his kidney ailment, All-Star center Alonzo Mourning underwent a kidney transplant, and would miss the entire regular season.[5]

Without their star center, the Heat struggled losing 10 of their first 12 games of the regular season. After a 6–18 start to the season, the team won six of their next seven games, but then posted a six-game losing streak afterwards, and held a 17–32 record at the All-Star break.[6] The Heat lost 18 of their final 23 games of the season, and finished in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 25–57 record, their worst since the 1990–91 season.[7]

Eddie Jones averaged 18.5 points and 1.4 steals per game, but only played just 47 games due to a season-ending groin injury, while Butler averaged 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and Brian Grant provided the team with 10.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. In addition, second-year forward Malik Allen provided with 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Best contributed 8.4 points and 3.5 assists per game, and second-year guard Mike James contributed 7.8 points and 3.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, rookie small forward, and second-round draft pick Rasual Butler averaged 7.5 points per game, Eddie House contributed 7.5 points per game, Vladimir Stepania averaged 5.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, LaPhonso Ellis provided with 5.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, and Anthony Carter contributed 4.1 points and 4.1 assists per game.[8]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Butler was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Rookies team. Butler scored 23 points along with 7 assists, despite the Rookies losing to the Sophomores team, 132–112.[9][10] Butler also finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting.[11] The Heat finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 628,242 at the American Airlines Arena during the regular season.[8][12]

Following the season, Mourning signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets after eight seasons with the Heat,[13] while Best signed with the Dallas Mavericks, Ellis retired, and head coach Pat Riley resigned, although he would later on return to coach the Heat midway through the 2005–06 season.

Offseason

Draft picks

Main article: 2002 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team
1 10 Caron Butler SF  United States Connecticut
2 52 Rasual Butler SG/SF  United States La Salle

Roster

2002–03 Miami Heat roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
F 35 Malik Allen 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1978-06-27 Villanova
G 1 Travis Best 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1972-07-12 Georgia Tech
G/F 4 Caron Butler 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1980-03-13 Connecticut
G/F 45 Rasual Butler 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1979-06-23 La Salle
G 25 Anthony Carter 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1975-06-16 Hawaiʻi
F 3 LaPhonso Ellis 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1970-05-05 Notre Dame
F/C 44 Brian Grant 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 254 lb (115 kg) 1972-03-05 Xavier
G 5 Eddie House 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1978-05-14 Arizona State
G 7 Mike James 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1975-06-23 Duquesne
C 54 Ken Johnson 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1978-02-01 Ohio State
G/F 6 Eddie Jones 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1971-10-20 Temple
F 21 Sean Lampley 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 227 lb (103 kg) 1979-09-03 California
F/C 22 Sean Marks 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1975-08-23 California
C 33 Alonzo Mourning  (IN) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1970-02-08 Georgetown
C 50 Vladimir Stepania 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 236 lb (107 kg) 1976-05-08 Republic of Georgia
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster
Updated: September 5, 2002

Roster Notes

Regular season

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-New Jersey Nets 49 33 .598 – 33–8 16–25 16–8
x-Philadelphia 76ers 48 34 .585 1 25–16 23–18 17–7
x-Boston Celtics 44 38 .537 5 25–16 19–22 13–12
x-Orlando Magic 42 40 .512 7 26–15 16–25 14–11
e-Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 12 23–18 14–27 11–13
e-New York Knicks 37 45 .451 12 24–17 13–28 9–15
e-Miami Heat 25 57 .305 24 16–25 9–32 5–19
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons 50 32 .610 –
2 y-New Jersey Nets 49 33 .598 1
3 x-Indiana Pacers 48 34 .585 2
4 x-Philadelphia 76ers 48 34 .585 2
5 x-New Orleans Hornets 47 35 .573 3
6 x-Boston Celtics 44 38 .537 6
7 x-Milwaukee Bucks 42 40 .512 8
8 x-Orlando Magic 42 40 .512 8
9 e-New York Knicks 37 45 .451 13
10 e-Washington Wizards 37 45 .451 13
11 e-Atlanta Hawks 35 47 .427 15
12 e-Chicago Bulls 30 52 .366 20
13 e-Miami Heat 25 57 .305 25
14 e-Toronto Raptors 24 58 .293 26
15 e-Cleveland Cavaliers 17 65 .207 33

Player statistics

Ragular season

Player POS GP GS MP REB AST STL BLK PTS MPG RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Brian Grant C 82 82 2,641 837 104 63 47 846 32.2 10.2 1.3 .8 .6 10.3
Malik Allen PF 80 73 2,318 425 54 37 78 767 29.0 5.3 .7 .5 1.0 9.6
Vladimir Stepania C 79 6 1,594 554 24 45 40 441 20.2 7.0 .3 .6 .5 5.6
Caron Butler SF 78 78 2,858 397 213 137 31 1,201 36.6 5.1 2.7 1.8 .4 15.4
Mike James PG 78 8 1,722 149 246 64 5 607 22.1 1.9 3.2 .8 .1 7.8
Travis Best PG 72 52 1,807 147 255 44 7 603 25.1 2.0 3.5 .6 .1 8.4
Rasual Butler SG 72 28 1,514 186 93 21 43 540 21.0 2.6 1.3 .3 .6 7.5
Eddie House SG 55 7 1,025 101 87 44 1 411 18.6 1.8 1.6 .8 .0 7.5
LaPhonso Ellis PF 55 3 784 157 15 15 15 277 14.3 2.9 .3 .3 .3 5.0
Anthony Carter PG 49 26 912 83 203 45 5 199 18.6 1.7 4.1 .9 .1 4.1
Eddie Jones SG 47 47 1,789 226 173 64 31 869 38.1 4.8 3.7 1.4 .7 18.5
Sean Lampley SF 35 0 487 83 31 7 3 169 13.9 2.4 .9 .2 .1 4.8
Sean Marks PF 23 0 223 35 3 5 6 54 9.7 1.5 .1 .2 .3 2.3
Ken Johnson C 16 0 156 32 0 1 12 32 9.8 2.0 .0 .1 .8 2.0

Awards and records

Caron Butler, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team

References

  1. ^ 2002-03 Miami Heat
  2. ^ Passan, Jeff (June 27, 2002). "Rockets Select Yao No. 1 Overall in Draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  3. ^ Smith, Sam (October 30, 2002). "Eastern Conference Capsules". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "2002 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "PRO BASKETBALL; Kidney Ailment Has Mourning Out Indefinitely". The New York Times. September 13, 2002. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 6, 2003". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  7. ^ "2002–03 Miami Heat Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "2002–03 Miami Heat Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  9. ^ "Basketball". The Madison Courier. February 8, 2003. p. A8. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  10. ^ "2003 NBA Rising Stars: Sophomores 132, Rookies 112". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  11. ^ "2002–03 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  12. ^ "2002–03 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  13. ^ Robbins, Liz (July 17, 2003). "PRO BASKETBALL; "Excited" Mourning Introduced by Nets". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
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